Search form

Search

Government

Instruction in the government department responds to an intensely political age and its intellectual challenges. Our main objective is to help students learn how to explain, interpret, and evaluate political institutions, policies, behaviors and beliefs. Majors learn how to employ a variety of methods to analyze political phenomena, as well as how to defend their analyses with rigorous, evidence-based arguments.

The introductory course (Government 110) provides an introduction to the analysis of the contemporary political system primarily through an examination of the theory and practice of American government. Students proceeding further are introduced to the major problems of political analysis and to the interplay of theory and data before going on to advanced courses in American politics and policy, comparative politics, constitutional law, international politics and political theory.

A major in government prepares students for success in a wide variety of careers including politics, law, business, teaching or nonprofit work. Those who pursued advanced degrees have done so in political science, business, law, international relations, public policy, history, medicine, education, urban planning, development studies and many other fields.